


Time Capsule

by BisexualDisastaur



Series: #FEGenWeek2020 [6]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Family Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, Language of Flowers, Letters, Sibling energy, a smidge of angst at the end, time capsules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23833609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BisexualDisastaur/pseuds/BisexualDisastaur
Summary: Deep in the woods, surrounded by strength and sky. Deep down, you will find what you are searching for.
Relationships: Alfonse & Sharon | Sharena, Nino & Merric (Fire Emblem)
Series: #FEGenWeek2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709977
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15
Collections: Fire Emblem Gen Week 2020





	Time Capsule

“Good morning, Feh!” Sharena greeted the owl brightly.

“Hoo!” Feh hooted brightly, flapping her wings as Sharena knelt at the bottom of her perch, refilling the owl’s water and food.

“There we go! All set for the day?” Sharena asked as she straightened up, carefully petting the Heroes’ messenger and feeding her a treat.

“Hoo! Ho hoom!” Feh chirped, rustling her feathers, before turning back into her nest. She poked around for several minutes before turning back to the princess, pressing a crumped letter into her hands.

“What’s this?” Sharena carefully unfolded the paper, yellow with age, and read it. Slowly, a grin rose to her face, and she turned back to Feh with a wink. “Thank you, Feh! Oh, today’s going to be fun.”

* * *

“Alfonse! Hey, Alfonse!”

“Sharena? What is it?”

Sharena skidded to a stop in front of him. “Are you busy today?”

“Not really, no. What’s got you all worked up?”

“So, you remember when we were kids, say… I think I was perhaps 7 years old and you were 10 years old?” Sharena straightened, showing him the paper. “Do you recall? We made a time capsule!”

Alfonse took the paper, studying his childish handwriting surrounded by Sharena’s scribbled drawings. “I faintly do. I can’t recall where we hid it though.”

“Well, that’s why there are these clues! Feh gave this to me today. We must have given it to her after writing them down and asked her to keep it to give to us when we were older. Well, now’s the time! You said you weren’t busy, so let’s go find it today!”

Alfonse hesitated. He had a meeting with some of the Heroes, and he was planning to sharpen Folkvangr again… But Sharena was staring up at him with a hopeful shine in her eyes, hands clasped pleadingly.

“Ah, very well.”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

* * *

Out in the sunlight, Alfonse squinted at the paper. “Gods, such poor handwriting.”

“I think it’s rather neat.” Sharena studied the paper. _“Deep in the woods, surrounded by strength and sky. Deep down, you will find what you are searching for.”_ She read.

“I feel like this sounds rather ominous…”

“Deep down?” Sharena pondered. “Should we bring along a shovel?”

“I’m wondering what it means by _‘surrounded by strength and sky.’_ A clearing, perhaps?”

“And in the forest. Although, we were rather young at the time… How far did we go into the forest?”

“Hmn.” Alfonse studied the forest with a critical eye. While the edges of it were sunlit and a good place for training or a picnic, the deeper areas of the forest ran wild with animals and magic. A good place for the Fallen Heroes, who often stayed within the confines of the shadows during the day, but definitely not a place for young children. “Probably not far.”

“So a clearing near the edges of the forest.” Sharena tapped her chin. “Well, let’s go exploring!”

“Wait, let’s logic our way—”

“Nope!” She grabbed Alfonse’s arm, dragging him away. “No logic today! Let’s explore!”

* * *

“Woah!” Alfonse ducked as a strong breeze rippled through the air as he and his sister rounded a tree into a small clearing.

“Oh! Sorry, Prince Alfonse!”

“Nino? Merric? What are you doing here?” Sharena asked.

Nino lowered her tome. “I’m practicing my magic! Merric offered to help me out a little bit.”

“Indeed,” Merric said, nodding, “while she has raw potential, it’s always good to have a little refinement.”

“‘Refinement,’ huh.” Alfonse quoted under his breath. Unfortunately not so quiet, though, as his sister turned towards him and slapped his shoulder.

“Alfonse! _Rude!_ I’m plenty refined!”

“Was I talking about you?”

“Oh! Sassy now are we, brother!? C’mere!”

Alfonse yelped as Sharena tackled him into the shirt to playfully wrestle. “Wait! Sharena!”

“Have at you!” Sharena giggled. “You need to get out more, Alfonse! Writing reports all day is wearing away at you!”

“I practice plenty enough!” Alfonse wrestled back, but flopped down when Sharena got the upper hand, sitting comfortably on top of his stomach. “Get off!”

“Will do!” She chirped out, hopping off and pulling him up before turning to the mages. “Heh, sorry about that.”

“It was terribly embarrassing for you to see us like that.” Alfonse bowed, flushing.

“Not at all.” Merric said, grinning. “It’s good to see siblings treating each other well.”

“Yeah!” Nino agreed. “I mean, I don’t have any, but if Lugh and Raigh are any indication…” She shook her head. “It’s so weird! They’re… They’re my children, but they’re the same age as me…”

Well, this was clearly an uncomfortable topic for the young mage, and Alfonse hurried tor rectify the situation. “Do you know where we can find a clearing ‘surrounded by strength?’”

“What?” Merric asked.

“We’re searching for something, and the only clue we have is that. Have any ideas?”

“I’m not quite sure.”

Nino tilted her head, brow creased in concentration. “Maybe there’s con… Conn… Connotation?” She asked. “Titania’s taught me that, now that I’m reading bigger books. Like… Authors have a secondary meaning.”

“‘Surrounded by strength’ could have many meanings.” Merric nodded. “Do you know when this note was written?”

Alfonse turned to Sharena. “Have any idea?”

“I’m assuming, uh… Spring?”

“How long ago?” Merric prompted.

“Like… A decade ago.”

“Any large battles at the time? Or historic battles that took place in clearings?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Hm.” Merric nodded again. “Well, it can’t be a clearing with something like a holy sword.”

“Oh! Like Falchion?” Nino asked.

Merric’s lips twitched. “I don’t think Falchion was left in a clearing for someone to just pick it up… But yes, I suppose. Springtime… What’s common in springtime…”

“Flowers?” Nino offered.

Sharena’s eyes lit up. “THAT’S IT!”

“Wh-What?” Alfonse stuttered out as Sharena grabbed him.

“Flowers! Flowers that symbolize strength!”

“There’s a small crop of gladiolus flowers, also known as sword lilies, northeast of here,” Merric said. “I do believe their meaning is strength and—”

“THANKS, MERRIC!” Sharena yelled behind her, already pulling Alfonse away.

“—remembrance.” Merric finished, shaking his head fondly. “Well, there they go. Shall we get back to it, Nino?”

* * *

“Sharena,” Alfonse called out, standing on the edge of the tiny clearing, the scent of the sword lilies clear in the air, “you can’t just dig randomly.”

“No! I remember! We measured it out very clearly! We buried the box in the exact center!”

“Oh, _now_ you remember.”

“Shush, you!” Sharena attacked the dirt energetically, clumps flying the air. Finally, she struck gold—or rather, a small box made of hardwood. Dropping to her knees, she pulled it out. “I found it!”

Curious, Alfonse sat next to her as she opened the box with trembling hands.

The contents of the box were simple. Two handkerchiefs, colored blue and pink, as well as a copy of one of their favorite childhood books. A few dried rose petals, and a feather. Finally, at the bottom, was three letters.

_From Alfonse. From Sharena. From Zacharias._

“Oh.” Sharena said very softly, even as she gently opened the white envelope and flipped it open to read their childhood friend’s handwriting, elegant even when he was young.

* * *

_Dear Alfonse and Sharena,_

_I pray with all my heart that I am behind you, reading this with you. As we read on, we will probably laugh at our old memories. I really, really hope we’re all happy! I’m trying my best, right now. Everyone says I’m too young to really change anything, though. I wonder how far in the future you are. Is Askr safe? I assume it is, if you’re reading this. Have we achieved our dreams? Are we Heroes, like the ones we read about in Sharena’s storybooks?_

_If I’m not with you… I don’t know. I’ve only been at the palace for a short time, but I already can’t imagine life without you. Hey! Future me! Didn’t you promise to try your best!? You can’t just leave! I promised to find a cure, didn’t I??? I’m sure you two must be confused. I don’t know if I’ve told you in the future._

_Well, if I didn’t, then let’s say… Well, I’m cursed. But I’m trying to find a cure! And I will! I promise! So if I’m not there, then just wait for me, okay?_

_Don’t forget me!_

_Your best friend,_

_Zacharias_

* * *

Sharena slowly relaxed, letting her brother lean on her. “There there, Alfonse.” She murmured, although her own voice sounded thick and her eyes were suspiciously wet. “Don’t cry.”

Alfonse took a great, shuddering breath. “We were so hopeful back then.”

“And we _are.”_ Sharena answered firmly. “We still are. He’s doing our best, and we’re doing our best. We’ll find a cure. We’ll bring him back home. See this?” She waved the letter in his face. “He made a promise. You know Zacharias. He doesn’t break his promises. So don’t cry, okay? Ah, geez! Come on! You’re supposed to be the older, mature one here!”

“Shut up.” Alfonse croaked out, even though he straightened, wiping his eyes furiously.

Sharena groaned. “Maybe Kiran is right. You’re too emotionally constipated.”

_“Sharena!”_

“Ha ha! Now, let’s see what baby Alfonse has to say!”

“Ah! Hey! That’s private! Give that back!”

“You’re going to have to catch me first!”


End file.
